Connected Women - Fireside Chat

Summary

In this interview, Gina Romero, founder of Connected Women, discusses her organization's mission to empower women through upskilling and remote work opportunities, particularly in digital and AI-related fields. She shares insights into the company's evolution from educational events to a managed services model, offering data preparation services for AI models. Gina explains the importance of branding, international expansion, and building trust with clients, particularly through platforms like LinkedIn. She also emphasizes the value of partnerships with both local organizations and solution providers, highlighting the potential for automation and quality assurance in scalable, long-term projects.

Takeaways

• 😀 Connected Women is a startup that empowers women by upskilling them for digital jobs and providing remote work opportunities in the tech space.
• 😀 The company’s initial focus was on educational platforms and events, and it has evolved into a job-matching platform, helping Filipino women connect with freelancing opportunities.
• 😀 The latest transition for Connected Women is into upskilling women for emerging technologies, such as AI, and offering data services to global clients.
• 😀 Connected Women operates as a managed services company, providing data preparation services such as data annotation and cleaning, which are critical for building AI models.
• 😀 The company’s revenue is generated through two streams: services provided to clients and partnerships that fund upskilling programs for underserved women.
• 😀 The primary customer base includes global organizations needing data services for AI model development, with a focus on high-trust relationships and human oversight in AI processes.
• 😀 The company’s brand, Connected Women, remains a strong community-driven identity, while Metam Match has been launched to represent the company’s data services and international expansion.
• 😀 'Metam Match' is derived from 'meta', meaning 'loving kindness', and signifies the company’s focus on meaningful matching and innovation in AI services.
• 😀 The company’s go-to-market strategy focuses on building networks, particularly through LinkedIn, to connect with industry leaders, share content on hot topics like AI ethics, and expand internationally.
• 😀 Connected Women’s partnership strategy includes collaborations with local businesses for CSR projects and partnerships with AI solution providers to tackle data bottlenecks and ensure high-quality outputs in AI model development.

Q & A

What is the mission of Connected Women?

The mission of Connected Women is to empower women through skills development and provide them with remote work opportunities, specifically by outsourcing digital services to companies.

What was the initial focus of Connected Women before it transitioned into data services?

Initially, Connected Women focused on providing educational platforms, events, and opportunities for women to learn about technology products and solutions.

What are the core services provided by Connected Women as it transitioned into data services?

The core service of Connected Women now revolves around data preparation, including annotating, cleaning, and structuring data typically used for building AI models.

How does Connected Women support women through its business model?

Connected Women supports women by upskilling them, particularly in emerging technologies such as AI, and providing job opportunities through remote work, ensuring women can contribute to family income while managing their domestic responsibilities.

What is the revenue model of Connected Women?

Connected Women has a dual revenue model: the primary revenue stream comes from client-side services, while a secondary stream comes from upskilling partnerships, where program partners provide scholarships to women for skills development.

What types of companies does Connected Women work with?

Connected Women primarily works with large companies in the Philippines, including conglomerates, focusing on CSR initiatives, gender development, and upskilling women, with a particular emphasis on providing data services.

How does Connected Women plan to expand its international reach?

Connected Women plans to expand internationally by emphasizing its new brand, Metam Match, which focuses on data services, while still being powered by the Connected Women community. This strategy aims to position the company as a serious player in the data services industry.

What is the significance behind the name 'Metam Match'?

The name 'Metam Match' derives from the word 'meta,' meaning loving kindness in meditation, and represents the idea of meaningful matching and doing things in the best possible way, aligning with the company’s focus on innovation and quality.

What is Connected Women’s approach to branding and how does it differentiate its services?

Connected Women differentiates its services by separating its community-driven brand from its data services business. The new brand, Metam Match, reflects its expertise in data services and international expansion, while still being connected to the original women's empowerment mission.

What channels is Connected Women using for customer acquisition and outreach?

Currently, Connected Women primarily uses LinkedIn for reaching potential customers, leveraging content related to AI, ethics, and gender issues to build trust and engage with industry leaders. Additionally, they rely on local networks and partnerships to grow their client base.